Back to the Future
by zimdoubleohseven
Summary: While escaping from Death Eaters, Harry is transported back in time to the era of the Marauders. At Hogwarts, Lily begins to fall for Harry and ignore James. Harry has to find away to get Back to the Future, to save himself and his parents.
1. The Highspeed Chase

Disclaimer: I'm sick of trying to make these funny. I don't own these characters. So there.

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Harry jumped into the old Ford Anglia, with the pair of Death Eaters closing in behind him. The car had turned up at just the right moment, just as Harry was running down the empty road from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts. Shooting random Stunning spells, he accelerated and jabbed the silver button on the dashboard, which he remembered to be the Invisibility Booster. He heard Nott and Mulciber's enraged shouts behind him. Laughing, Harry sped up even faster. He glanced at the odometer, and saw the little dial reach 80 mph. Suddenly, the old turquoise car gave an almighty lurch, and stalled. Harry slammed on the breaks, and skidded to a halt just in front of those ancient wrought iron gates flanked by winged boars. Getting out, Harry realized that he didn't know how to unlock the gates.

He tapped his wand awkwardly on the metal as he had seen Snape do before, but nothing whatsoever happened. Sighing, he lowered himself onto the ground and leaned his head against the cool metal of the gates, resigning himself to a long night of waiting.

It could have been ten minutes, an hour, or all night, but at some point Harry heard loud whistling coming his way from the Hogsmeade road. Startled, Harry jumped up and yelled "Hello?" The whistling stopped abruptly.

"Who's there?" said a familiar deep voice. "Show yerself!"

Harry lit his wand, and directed the beam of light in the appropriate direction, and a large figure came suddenly into focus.

"Hagrid!" Harry sighed with relief. "I... erm…" He realized that he should not be telling anyone why he had left the school so late at night. Harry racked his brains, trying to quickly think of an appropriate alibi. "I…"

Thankfully, Hagrid interrupted him.

"James? Is that yeh?" Harry could not think of any explanation for this, and peered confusedly up at Hagrid.

"James? Hagrid, are you ok? It's me, Harry!" Thinking that maybe he had had too much to drink or was ill, he shouted the last bit.

"Harry? Who's Harry? James, what have yeh done to yer eyes? They didn't used to be green, did they? You didn't get one o' those weird Muggle things- contracts, they call 'em?"

"Hagrid, what are you talking about?" Harry was totally bewildered. He had seen Hagrid just this morning, at breakfast. His massive pal looked exactly the same as he had at 8 o'clock that morning.

"C'mon James, let's getcha up to the castle. I'm not gonna ask what yeh was doin' out here this late, all those pranks yeh get up to an' all. Why yeh haven't been expelled yet is beyond me…" Hagrid pulled out his pink umbrella and tapped the gates just as Harry had done earlier that evening, except this time there was a great clanging sound and they opened. They both stepped through and Hagrid closed the gates again, locking them tight.

Harry was completely perplexed as to why Hagrid didn't recognize him, but followed his large friend up the path towards the castle all the same.


	2. Befuddlement

Harry continued to trudge up the path alongside his big friend, Hogwarts castle looming against the dark pink sky, a hint of sunrise. He was bemused at Hagrid's confusion; Hagrid must have spent the night at the Three Broomsticks and had just a touch too much firewhiskey. However, Hagrid, being a large half—giant, could down a gallon of alcohol without even getting tipsy. For him to become so drunk to forget Harry's existence he must have downed Madam Rosmerta's entire stock.

The pair climbed the great stone steps. Mercifully the huge oak doors were unlocked.

"I'll leave yeh here, James. Don't let meh catch yeh out this late again. If Filch found out, he'd skin meh alive!" With that, Hagrid turned and strode towards his little cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

Harry's eyebrows knitted in confusion as he glanced around the Entrance Hall. Empty and silent, as it should be at 4 o'clock in the morning. He pulled his Invisibility Cloak from beneath his robes and flung the heavy material over him, noticing his toes peeking out from under the invisible fabric. Harry had grown five inches over the last year, and the Cloak was getting a bit small.

Harry climbed the marble staircase and took a familiar short-cut to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady was snoozing peacefully in her frame, and Harry had to shout to rouse her, which she did not appreciate.

"Hinkypunk," said Harry confidently.

"No," The Fat Lady said derisively.

"Wha?" Harry asked. The password had been "Hinkypunk" for the last week. "But- but that was the password this morning!"

"No, it wasn't," The Fat Lady replied. "And if you don't know the password, I'm going back to sleep. She re-settled her long pink robes and closed her eyes. Immediately, fake snores filled the empty corridor.

"Wait!" Harry whisper-yelled, but the Fat Lady just continued to pretend to be sound asleep. No one's REM sleep is that complete, Harry thought to himself as he settled him self on the cold marble floor. Adjusting his back to better accommodate the sharp corners of the wall, he closed his eyes as well, thinking about the confusion of the night.

He dozed off, but all too soon a loud female voice brought Harry harshly back to reality.

"James! Don't you dare tell anyone about tonight!"

"Ok, ok, chill out!" came a second voice, deep and strangely familiar to Harry.

Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak over himself again just as two figures rounded the corner, passing under a bright torch lamp.

A very pretty girl of about 16 with waist-length dark, wavy red hair and bright, almond-shaped emerald green eyes was marching purposely towards the portrait hole. With a jolt, Harry recognized her. She was a younger, more solid version of the ghost that had come out of Voldemort's wand that night at the graveyard. It was Lily Evans, Harry's mother.

Next to her was a boy, almost a man. If there had been another set of eyes there, the outsider would have thought that this boy was Harry's twin. Harry stared at the man whom he knew to be his father. He was almost exactly the same height as Harry, had the the same rumpled jet-black hair. The only difference was his eyes, which were a warm brown tone.

Harry was completely mystified. Why were his parents here, at Hogwarts, when they had died more than 16 years ago? They were definitely solid people, not ghosts. And they looked so young, not the age that they had been when they were murdered.

"Seriously James, Mary would never stop taunting me if she knew that I had been out all night doing… well, out all night with you." Lily paused, looking at James, who was having immense difficulty hiding his grin.

"Alright, Evans, take it easy," said James. He grabbed her hand, and whistled loudly to wake up the Fat Lady, who looked extremely cross. Harry doubted whether she had actually fallen asleep yet.

"Again?" the Fat Lady asked imperiously.

"What do you mean?" James looked puzzled. "Who was out at 4 in the morning?"

"Never you mind. Do you have the password or not?"

"Mandrake," said James carelessly. The Fat Lady swung open, revealing the empty Gryffindor common room. Harry snapped out of his reverie and jumped through the portrait hole after Lily. The common room was exactly as it had been this morning. Harry was becoming more baffled by the second.

"Well, good night then James," said Lily.

"Good night? I think you mean good morning," said James, grinning. He leaned into Lily, clearly hoping for a kiss, but she just turned and ran up the steps that Harry knew to lead to the girl's dormitory. James, unfazed, flopped down into a squashy armchair by the smoldering remains of the fire.

"Just wait till I tell Sirius," James muttered, smiling to himself.

Harry watched his father critically from his invisible vantage point. In his fifth year, Harry had taken an excursion into Snape's penseive and seen his father in a memory. In that memory, James had not been portrayed well. More of an arrogant, stuck-up pretty boy, in Harry's opinion. Right now, James just looked tired and happy. Harry's vast resemblance to James struck Harry once again.

James gave one last content sigh, and headed up the stone stairs towards the boys dormitory. Harry, making sure that the common room was really deserted, flung off the Invisibility Cloak and stored in back in his robes. He flopped down onto the chair that his father had just vacated, and thought.

Harry thought long and hard about tonight's bizarre occurrences. First the amazingly close shave with Nott and Mulciber. Then the high-speed ride in the Weasley's old Ford Anglia. Then Hagrid not recognizing him. Finally, seeing his parents. The night's events ran over and over in his mind, blurring like the thought's in Dumbledore's penseive.

A long time ago, Dumbledore had asked Harry if he ever felt like there was no room in his head for new thoughts. Harry had privately said no. Now, however, Harry understood exactly what Dumbledore had meant.

Then suddenly, it came to him, in one brilliant stroke. He had been transported back through time. He was now at the Hogwarts that his parent's had known. James, Lily, Sirius, Lupin, Pettigrew, Snape, they were all students right now. Harry did not know how he had time traveled.

Confused thoughts swirling around in his head, Harry was not sure when his imagination turned into dream, but very soon someone was poking him and saying fervently, "Hey, wake up!"


	3. How I Met my Mother

Disgruntled, Harry hoisted himself out of the very comfortable armchair. Looking around, he noticed many people staring at him.

Last night's strange events came flooding back to him. The Death Eaters, Hagrid, his parents. Harry pinched himself, to make sure it wasn't just a dream. But no, it hurt a lot, so this must be real, thought Harry.

"C'mon," said a fervent voice in Harry's ear. He turned to find none other than his mother pulling him towards the portrait hole. He followed her obediently as she led him out of the common room, down the marble staircase and through an unfamiliar door leading off the Entrance Hall. Lily pushed Harry into the small broom cupboard and shut the door quickly. Harry recognized the small closet as the one that he and Hermione had hid in when they had used the Time Turner in his third year.

Lily dropped onto an overturned bucket and surveyed Harry through long eyelashes. Harry sat beside her on the hard stone floor. He was suddenly reminded of an interview with Rita Skeeter in his fourth year. Luckily, Lily was devoid of Quick-Quote-Quills.

Lily looked at Harry quizzically. She opened her mouth to speak, but Harry interrupted her.

"Don't call me James," said Harry, knowing what was coming.

"Actually, that's not what I was going to say," Lily replied indignantly. "I know you're not James."

"Really?" Harry asked, relieved. At least one person in this place is sane, he thought.

"Yes. You don't mess up your hair every other minute like he does. Plus, he kind of emanates an 'I rule, you drool' attitude." Harry wasn't sure how to take this.

"But," Lily continued, "who are you? I have to admit, you do look an awful lot like James. Except your eyes. You have nice eyes, by the way."

Harry took the compliment. The thought occurred to him that she was pretty much complimenting herself, since they had the same eyes.

"Um, I'm Harry," said Harry awkwardly. "Harry- Harry Longbottom." He knew he couldn't use his real last name. He had used the surname Longbottom once before, on the Knight Bus, when he hadn't wanted any awkward questions.

"Well, Harry Longbottom, nice to meet you," said Lily formally. She flashed him a smile, and Harry noticed just how pretty his mother was. "Can I ask you a question?" Not waiting for a reply, she said, "What in the name of Merlin were you doing asleep in the Gryffindor common room?"

"I… er…" Harry stumbled, not knowing what he should say.

"I've never seen you before," Lily said thoughtfully, more to herself than to Harry.

"Er… I'm from Durmstrang," said Harry, improvising wildly. "Our…er… our new headmaster sent me here to see how Hogwarts runs, to improve our school."

"Really?" Lily looked genuinely interested. "That's cool! I reckon you're the first person ever to do that. Well let me know if you need anything here at Hogwarts. I can give you a tour after breakfast, I have a free period!" Harry just nodded weakly.

"But why do you have Hogwarts robes on? Don't they wear red robes at Durmstrang?" Lily asked.

"I'm…er… I'm taking classes here, and Headmaster wanted me to fit in.," Harry lied.

"That makes sense," said Lily. "What classes are you going to take?"

"Um… Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Herbology…"

"Me too! Wait—what year are you in?"

"Seventh," Harry replied, feeling like he ought to answer at least a couple of questions truthfully.

She unfolded her long legs and stood up, helping Harry to his feet. "Let's go down to breakfast, I'm starving."


	4. Second First Day at Hogwarts

The pair exited their little cupboard and made their way across the Entrance Hall, Lily waving to many of her classmates. It was clear that she was very popular. Many students were milling about, most exiting the Great Hall for their classes, some rushing in for a last-minute breakfast.

As Lily and Harry drew level with the marble staircase, a yell echoed, "LILY! Wait up!"

As one, Lily and Harry turned towards the stairs. Harry saw a frazzled young witch tripping down the white staircase.

"Hey Mary," sighed Lily. "Why are you late today?"

"I forgot to do the Defense homework. Can you believe Dumbledore set us three rolls?" Mary asked Lily exasperatedly. "And who," she turned to Harry "are you? You're not James' long lost twin are you? Cause we definitely don't need another Potter here at Hogwarts." She mumbled the last bit, but Lily nodded fervently.

"This is Harry Longbottom." Lily introduced Harry to Mary. "He's from Durmstrang, and is here for—" She broke off and turned to Harry. "I didn't ask you: How long are you here for?"

"Well, I—" Thankfully Harry was interrupted by Mary, who from the three minutes that he had spent to her seemed all over the place and positively raring to go.

"C'mon Lily, and Harry was it? We need to get some b-fast before the house elves have cleaned it all up!" With that, she took Lily's elbow and frog-marched her into the Great Hall. Harry heard her mindless chatter continue. Lily turned around with a helpless look, found Harry's face and mouthed, "C'mon". Harry followed them into the Hall.

He looked around with a critical eye. But no, everything was the same. The only change was that the ceiling was clear blue as opposed to that morning when it had been murky grey. Harry passed this off to a change in weather fronts. The house tables were in the same order: Gryffindor table was the farthest from the doors. The staff table was at the top of the hall as always.

He continued to follow Lily and Mary to the Gryffindor table, which was almost empty. The plates on the table were just as bare. All that was left was a couple of stacks of toast and a few battered sausages left at the bottom of a dish.

Mary sat down and took the last sausages, stuffing them into her mouth. Harry did not like this Mary very much so far.

Lily patted the bench beside her, and Harry sat down. He wasn't very hungry, but buttered up some toast all the same.

"How bout you just follow me to classes today, so you don't get lost?" she asked kindly.

Harry had just taken an extra-large bite of toast, chewed very fast, and swallowed an all-too-big amount, with the result that his airway was blocked and he turned purple in the face. Lily calmly waited until his cough died down.

"Um- Al-alright then," Harry spluttered, taking a large gulp of pumpkin juice, which, fortunately there was an abundance of.

After breakfast, Mary went off to Muggle Studies, while Lily and Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room, for their free period, Lily apologizing profusely.

"I said I'd take you on a tour! Oh, I'm so sorry Harry. I totally forgot about Dumbledore's essay too! He wants three rolls of parchment on nonverbal Shield Charms!"

Harry reassured her that it was fine, and that he would just spend the period relaxing. In fact, Harry spent the free forty-five minutes again contemplating all that had happened. After seven years in the wizarding world, each year the amount of strange things he did not understand lessened. This was definitely one of those things. The only mention of time travel he'd ever heard of was the Time Turners. However, he and his friends had smashed the lot of them during their little jaunt at the Ministry. He was sure Hermione would know what was going on. But Hermione was back in the future. The concept sent Harry's mind spinning. He needed to figure out how to get back to the future, but right now he was concentrated on just making sure that nobody found out that he was from the future.

Three quarters of an hour later, Harry and Lily set off for Herbology together. Harry was surprised to find that Professor Sprout was teaching. She looked pretty much the same as she did in Harry's time (his real time), except for that her face was slightly less lined and her hat was not as patched.

Lily was very pleasant to Harry throughout the class, in which they were potting Poisonous Ferancula, which had a nasty habit of biting off thumbs. Just thumbs, not other fingers. James was nowhere to be found. I bet he doesn't take Herbology, Harry thought. Harry was looking forward to talking to his father.

During a lunch of steak and kidney pie, Harry looked down the crowded Gryffindor table. He spotted his father, sitting next to a handsome young man who was unmistakably Sirius. The boy on Sirius's other side had his long nose in a book, whom Harry recognized as Remus Lupin. Across the table, a small boy was sniffing lamp chops in a most curious manner. Wormtail, Harry thought venomously.

It would be so easy to dispose of Wormtail, right now. Then he would never have joined the Dark Lord and soul his parents' whereabouts. His parents would be alive. But as Harry thought it, a million complications popped into his mind. No, it would be best not to tamper with the past.

It was fun to watch his parents, to get to know them as they had been when they were Harry's age. Even if his parents had been alive, Harry would have enjoyed this. But he couldn't stay in the future forever.

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Thanks for the reviews, keep em coming!


	5. Our Children Would Have Six Toes!

During lunch, Harry had tried to catch Dumbledore's eye, thinking that he might be able to explain everything. But his attempts were fruitless. He would just have to approach Dumbledore another time, or else wait until Lily's Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

After lunch Lily had Potions, so they beat the familiar path down to the dungeons. When they arrived, there were half a dozen people milling about in the corridor, waiting for the bell to ring. James was among them. Harry's stomach gave a jolt as he looked at his father.

James looked completely relaxed, leaning up against the stone wall. Him and Sirius were conversing in low tones. James was grinning quite a lot, and Sirius slapped him on the back a couple of times. Harry supposed that James was telling Sirius about him and Lily's little outing of last night. Lily seemed to catch on, because she made a sound like "Pfft!" and turned away. This alerted James to her presence. He quickly re-rumpled his hair and came their way.

"Hey Evans," he said loudly. "How're you feeling? I know I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night." He was clearly hoping that other people in the corridor would overhear. Harry was embarrassed for him, a sentiment clearly shown by his best friend Sirius, who muttered something inaudible and turned away, shaking his head.

"I'm fine, James," Lily sighed, putting on her most tolerant expression. She pulled James by the elbow away from their classmates, however they were still audible to Harry.

"What's up, Lils? You want some more?" James was looking very pleased with himself.

"James, I told you not it get around!" Lily looked aggravated, but not furious. When she was around James, she seemed to change. Harry could not have explained it if he tried, but he thought that she acted more girly and flirtatious. He supposed it had something to do with James' good looks. And popularity. And Quidditch talent. Harry reckoned that James was quite fanciable, from a girl's point of view.

Suddenly the door to the dungeon classroom opened, and the students began filing in. There were only nine students including Harry, which Harry attributed to it being a N.E.W.T. level. Only a few people from each house had continued with Potions.

Harry entered the classroom last, following as Lily's long red hair swung out of sight. The potions dungeon was just as it had been during his last class, down to the portly man sitting behind the teacher's desk upfront.

Harry didn't even try to talk to Slughorn becase he knew that he would just be asked if he was James' twin. He sat down at a round table at the very front of the class next to Lily. Remus and Peter were also at the table. James and Sirius were sitting at a table all the way in the back, already holding a whispered conversation. Harry watched them intently.

"Good afternoon all," came Slughorn's deep voice, and Harry tore is eyes away from his father, focusing his attention on Slughorn. "Today we will be mixing the Blood-Replenishing Potion. It takes awhile to simmer, so let's get straight to it. You'll find the method on page 327 of Advanced Potion Making. Good luck." He winked directly at Lily, who had been listening attentively to Slughorn. At this dismissal, she immediately lit the fire under her cauldron and began to run-walk over to the ingredient cupboard. Halfway there, she finally remembered Harry, who had been sitting awkwardly as everyone else prepared his or her little stations. She turned right around.

"So sorry, Harry, I forgot about you!" She apologized. "Potions is my favorite subject, and I kind of… get caught up in everything."

Harry grinned at her, and she grinned back.

"It's fine," Harry reassured her. "I'll just watch for now, I guess. I can help you, if you want. Not that you need it," he said, remembering often Slughorn talked about his mother as the best Potions student he ever had.

After about a quarter of an hour, bluish smoke started to fill the dungeon. Lily had progressed the farthest with her potion. Harry was reminded of Hermione.

Just as he had always done when he was teaching Harry's "futuristic" class, Slughorn was making the rounds, peering into everybody's cauldron to see how they were doing. He finally reached Harry's table. He didn't seem to notice Harry as he looked at Pettigrew's work with a wrinkled nose, and lightly reminded Remus to stir seven times counterclockwise, not eight. He finally looked up and saw Harry.

"Oho! And who do we have here?" he asked jovially. Lily answered for him.

"Professor, this is Harry Longbottom. He's from Durmstrang and is visiting to see how Hogwarts runs," Lily explained. Slughorn turned his twinkling eyes on her.

"Of course he is, my dear." Turning back to face Harry, he asked "You look quite like Potter. James Potter, have you met him?"

"Yes, everyone I've met here has told me that," Harry said, grinning on the inside.

"Well get back to work!" Slughorn called loudly, because most of the class had stopped their work to look at Harry. In fact, everyone was staring at him except for James and Sirius, who were still talking under their breath.

"Harry, can you help me with this?" came Lily's voice from his right. She was holding up some belladonna and a vial of scarab beetles to be crushed.

"Sure," Harry said, reaching for the ingredients.

Harry spent the next twenty minutes working, which actually soothed his nerves and let him stop thinking about the pickle he had gotten himself into for a few minutes.

A while later he looked up from the belladonna he was shredding to find Lily looking intently at him, with—was it possible? —the same expression she had worn when talking to James earlier?

My mother is falling in love with me! Harry thought. But no, the idea was laughable. Lily was with James. For now, the little voice in Harry's head thought maliciously. Then reason took over: I can't let my (dead) mother fall in love with me! Our children would be deformed… And his imagination took over once again. It all came down to getting out of the past. Harry decided that he needed to visit Professor Dumbledore, and get this all sorted out.


End file.
